Finding your place of ease

How to enjoy your practice even when it's difficult.

As you meditate regularly, it becomes easier to visit that place of ease where there’s nothing but the breath. It’s pleasant and calming, and spending even a little bit of time there gives you strength and confidence.

When you’re new to meditation, most of your experience may be the exact opposite: thoughts are racing through your mind and you feel overwhelmed by feelings of unrest and anxiety. Occasionally you get a glimpse of bliss. Just for a moment, you feel an ease coming over you, right before the thoughts and feelings start rushing through again. It may feel like these glimpses almost happen at random. You had it for just a moment and then poof, it went away again.

This is not unlike any other form of learning. When you start snowboarding you’ll fall a lot but in between the crashes and the wobbles you’ll have brief moments where everything feels easy and under control. You know that if you keep practicing, you’ll eventually get comfortable. And even when things are challenging and your body hurts, the experience remains fulfilling.